Oil-well-pump piston



Jan. 8, 1924. 7 1,480,127

B. D. THOMPSON OIL WELL PUMP PISTON Filed Nov. 20. 1922.

mulmmm 2 "for nu Patented Jan. 8, 1924i.

BURCHARI) D. THOMPSON, 01'! CYCLONE, PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL-WELL-PUIVIP PISTON.

Application filed November 20, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURCHARD D. THoMrsoN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Cyclone, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil- Well-Pump Pistons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of pumping, and more particularly to the construction of pumps and the component parts thereof which are used in lifting liquids from deep wells, and is directed to the construction .of pump pistons having packing consisting of a plurality of resilient cups.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means for uniformly expanding the resilient cups to form a closure with the interior of the working barrel cylinder, in which the pump piston is adapted to reciprocate. Another object of this invention is to provide means for stabilizing and maintaining the closure forming edges of the cups in the most efiicient position to form an effective closure against leakage of the liquid past the piston. A further object of the invention is to provide for a plurality of resilient cups and means whereby all of the cups are co-actingly, automatically expanded, through the pumping operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in section, showing one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, showing the elements of the improved device, separately.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, in their operative form.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the different views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the working barrel cylinder in which the pump piston is adapted to reciprocate. 2 is the socket end of the piston actuating rod which is screw threaded to the upper Serial No. 602,004.

end of the valve cage 3. Screw threaded to the lower end of the valve cage 3 is the pimon tube 4- upon which is mounted a plurality of sets of the assembled units shown in Fig. 3 comprising the cup sup porting flanged collar 5, the coiled spring 6, the cup expanding cone 7, the cup centering collar 8, and the cup 9.

These elements are adapted to yield to reciprocal movement on the piston tube 4 as will be more fully explained.

In carrying out my invention 1 provide for as manv sets of the assembled elements shown in Fig. 3 as may be required to meet the conditions presented in each particular well. Fig. 1 shows three sets or series of cups, with their respective expanding component parts, and wherein the elements of the second and third sets have the additional designation of a and b respeo tively, added to their reference numerals.

This invention contemplates the usual. form of working barrel with a standing valve located in its lower end (not shown).

To hold the assembled elements in proper position and relation to each other, there is provided. the terminal member 10,- adjustably screw threaded on the lower end of the piston tube 4. The terminal member 10 is provided with an enlarged collar ll, which serves as the supporting means and the foundation for the lowermost cup of the series.

The flanged collar members 5 are adapted to form a close fit with the interior of the working barrel cylinder 1, and the upper collar member 5, shown in Fig. 1 aspositioned above the uppermost cup, prevents the possibilities of forei n parts such as a washer ring or a rivet head or'other broken parts of the pumping means that might fall on the piston from coming in contact with the cups and finding lodgment thereon, in which position the reciprocal movement of the piston would cause such foreign parts to cut the cups and destroy their effectiveness.

The method of operation of the invention, and the novel functioning of the component parts, will. be obvious to those skilledin the art.

The rod attached to the socket 2 extends to the top of the well, where is connected to the usual actuating means to carry out the reciprocal movement of the piston. This movement of the piston creates anovel tune tioning of the assembled elements shown Fig. 3. As the piston moves downwardly, the oil or other liquid residing in the working barrel held in suspension by the standing valve will pass upwardly through the interior of the tube a, and out through the valve cage 3 past the ball check 12 to a position above the piston, preparatory to being lifted in the 'pui'nping operation. As the piston moves upwardly the ball check will seat, and close the passageway through the interior of the tube a, and the oil or other liquidthat has found lodgement above the piston will be lifted and the weight of the liquid so lifted will create a pressure on the upper side of the flanged collar member 5 shown uppermost on the piston tube a in Fig. 1.

It is obvious that there will be some escapement or" "the liquid between. the inner wall of the working barrel 1 and the peiiphery of the collar member 5, but this escapement will be insuflicient during the period of the upward str he of the piston to relieve the pressurejof the weight or" the liquid on the member 5, as indicated. This pressure will cause a downward movement of the r ember 5 in relation to the piston tube l to com the spring 6 against the cone member '2". The downward movement of the cone member 7 will expand the periphery of the cup 9 to form an efiective closure with the interior wall of the working barrel cylinder 1.

The downward movement of the member 5 will be arrested by its contact with the member 8, to prohibit too great an expandingpressure to be exerted on the cup 9.

The liquid which has made escapem'ent between the upper member 5, and the inter wall of the working barrel cylinder 1 will come in Contact with the upper cup member 9, and will be held against further escapement by thefiliquid seal formed between the periphery of the cup 9 and the inner wall ot the working barrel 1.

The weight or" the liquidso held will applya downward force to the cup member 9. This force will cause a downward move ment to the cup member 9, which will be communicated to the flanged collar member 5?, contiguous ti ereto, causing it to .1 the spring 6 against the conemembei w, thereby causing an expanding of the cup 9 of the second series. In like manner the corresponding elements will actuate to e::- pand the cup 9 of the third series.

Obviously the upper cup the series will bear the major portion of the lift-in l strain, and will be the first to lose its effectiveness through long usage. Then the effectiveness of the upper cup becomes impaired, the major lifting strain will be taken. up by the cup of the series next in. line, and the lie that makes escapement'past the impaired cup will be held against eseapement past the cup of the next series. VVhen the cup of the second series becomes impaired, a corresponding action will occur with respect to the cup of the third series, and so on, throughout the whole number of series of cups that ma be employed.

V] hen the piston has reached its highest point of reciprocal tra el and its downward stroke is commenced, the lifting pressure on the uppermost side of the cups will be re-- lieved through the holding of the lifted fluid in suspension by the standing va ve (not shown). the effect or the T let o f this pressure, an'dthe frictional contact of the peripheries of the cups with the int oi the working barrel will tend to e f ect a artial restoration of the normal une position of the cups, prior to the stroke of the piston. p

This return toward normal -size ot the cups will break the seal or closure between the periphery of the cups and the inner wall of the working barrel to an eiitent that will permit a portion of the suspended oilv to pass upwardly between the cups and the inner wall of the working barrel on the downward movement of the piston.

It will thus be obvious that I use the resulting effect or" the reciprocal inc ement- 01" the piston in conjunction with the pressure of the weight of the liquid bein pumped to alternately expand and contraetthecup's.

The expansion and contraction of the cups together with the free application o f the oil thereto, during their contracting movement, materially lengthen their period of elasticity with a resulting in -'ase 'l length of service, as it is well known mthe art that when cups lose theirelasticity, they wear out rapidly and have to be replaced.

Another cause oiithe cups n w n common use, in the prevailin :IIGS or p'unrp plungers, giving way and failing to properly function, is that they must depend on their own structural formation to stand up. In the invention described. hereiml provide means to maintain the cups in 'theirmost effective form. Byretcr'ence to the drawings Fig. 3, it will be observed that the cup centering collar 8 is formed with an enlarged or thickened lower end to provide for completely filling the space within the bottom of the cup 9. The spacebetwe'en the periphery of the lower end of the collar 8 and the interior of the working barrel cyl i'nder 1 is fully taken up by the thickness or the wall of the cup 9 at this point, and therefore admits of no displacement of the cup portionfrom its intended position. In addition to the cup ex sanding functions of the cone 7, this member performs the additional function of stabilizing and maintaining the outer rim of the cup 9 concentric with the interior of the working barrel 1.

While this invent-ion is particularly adapted for use in connection with deep well pumps such as are used in oil wells, it will be understood that the invention may be used in connection with various kinds of pumps.

It will be further understood that various f changes in form, proportion and arrange ment of parts may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An apparatus for elevating oil in a Well, comprising a piston within a working barrel movably mounted packing elements and slidably mounted packing expanding means mounted on said piston, means for yieldingly placing the expanding means in an operative position actuated by the pressure exerted on the packing element by the oil being elevated, and means for retracting the movement of the expanding means by the release of the oil pressure.

2. An apparatus for elevating oil in a well, comprising a working barrel, a piston positioned therein, a series of alternate rigid and compressible elements slidably mounted thereon, packing means interposed between said rigid elements, and means for conveying successive movement from one rigid element to another, actuated by the oil being elevated.

3. An apparatus for elevating oil in a well comprising a piston positioned within a pump cylinder, expansible packing mounted on said piston slidably mounted packing expanding means, means for yieldingly applying the pressure of the oil being elevated to actuate the expanding means, and means for retracting the expanding means by the release of the oil pressure.

4. A piston for raising and supporting oil in a well, the combination with a centrally apertured piston member having resilient cup shaped packing mounted thereon, of cup expanding means including oil supporting means, and yielding means in terposed between the expanding means and the oil supporting means to actuate the expending means.

5. A piston for pumping the oil from a well, the combination with a centrally apertured piston member having cup shaped packing elements mounted thereon, of oil supporting means, cup expanding means, and means interposed between the oil supporting means and the cup expanding means to yieldingly hold the expanding means in operative position. i

6. The combination with a piston for pumping oil from a well havingoil-lifting and supporting means, of resilient cup shaped packing-mounted on-said piston, cup expanding means, yielding means interposed between the expanding means and the oil supporting means, to yieldingly apply the pressure on the oil supporting means to actuate the expanding means.

7. A piston having a series of alternate rigid and compressible elements thereon, comprising packing means, packing expanding means, packing moving means, and means for communicating the movement of the packing expanding means from one element to another substantially as described.

8. An apparatus for pumping wells including a piston having packing elements thereon comprising a series of alternately positioned rigid and compressible members, means for imparting reciprocal movement to said piston, and means for yieldingly mounting the packing elements for reciprocal movement on the piston whereby their reciprocal movement is shorter than that of the piston travel.

9. An apparatus for pumping wells, comprising a piston positioned in a pump cylinder, means to convey reciprocal movement to the piston, packing mounted on said piston comprising alternate rigid and compressible members, packing expanding means interposed between said rigid members reciprocally mounted on said piston, and means for yieldingly placing the expanding means in and out of actuating contact with the expansible packing, actuated by the reciprocal movement of the piston within the pump cylinder.

10. An apparatus of the character described comprising a piston adapted to elevate oil in a working barrel, a plurality oi packing elements movably mounted on said piston, packing expanding means interposed between the packing elements, means for yieldingly spacing apart the several expanding means, and means for constricting the spacing means actuated by the pressure of the oil being elevated.

11. In a pump, plunger, a tubular member, a plurality of. cup shaped packing washers slidably mounted on said tubular member, a conical cup expanding member fitting within the upper end of each packing washer, a cup form retaining disk positioned under and supporting each packing washer, means for yieldingly spacing apart the retaining disk and the expanding member, and means for constricting the spacing means substantially as described.

12. In a pump plunger, a tubular mem- LASOJE'? bets, a pliimlity co 011p shaped packing Washers slidably mounted on said tubular member, a, conical cup expandingmember fitting Within the uppenendw of each pack- 5 ing Washer, acup form retaining disk positioned under and supporting each packing washer, means for yieldingly specing apart the retaining disk and the expanding-mean" her, and means for successive constrictive movement to be applied to the several spac- 19 mg means substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

BURGHARD D. THOMPSON. 

